precious productions

I was laughing the other day when I came across a blog (google sh*tting sparkles blog) where the details of working in post production are mulled over.

I am an editor. 

Not a comedy editor, or a documentary editor, or a music video editor.

I am an Editor. I train myself in telling stories in different forms. At every editing seminar I attend, the question of avoiding being pigeon-holed is always asked. It’s hard to avoid being pigeon-holed. Producers want someone proven in whatever style they are looking for. I am constantly proving myself with each new producer and each new type of show. I have been able to figure out different editing styles and have been successful at being hired on different types of shows such as documentary, scripted, reality, package editing, and multicam studio show format. 

But here’s the thing, each type of editing has its own unique techniques. Each show requires a different approach and works different editing muscles. So if I practice in one genre of editing, then I am going to be better at that particular style. There are lots of editors out there known for a specific genre of editing such as cutting promos or reality tv or scripted narrative. That is great if that is their specific editing passion, but I hear stories about how very few editors are able to go back and forth between reality and scripted and thus are not able to get as much work as they would like.

I often work on shows with very fast turnarounds. My average gig is 3 weeks. Sometimes in between my longer gigs, I fill in for other editors on different shows for a day or two. So in one week, I will have worked on a multicam studio show, a documentary, online editing for another show, and doing a recut on an old show that requires me to punch into program masters and make big changes seamlessly without changing timing. Within that week of one day gigs, I will have done music editing, dialogue editing, picture editing, mastering, color correction, multicam editing, and worked with 5 different producers each with their own personality quirks and preferences. My unpredictable work schedule requires me to keep every skill I acquire sharp. 

And I still have so much to learn. I approach everything with a beginner’s mind as much as I can. Being open to new ideas helps me think outside the box and keep my creativity going. Every project is a new adventure to explore the possibilities of storytelling.